Chapter One
Fucking alarm! I thought, slamming a fist onto the snooze button, before thrusting my arm over my face to block the sun that was now insistently allying itself with my alarm clock to get me out of bed.
Groaning miserably, I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, my eyes still closed. I yawned and stretched groggily, hesitantly allowing my eyelids to part a bit, adjusting my vision to the harsh light that streamed through my window.
Standing and walking over to my closet, I ripped a white t-shirt from its hanger, throwing it on over the tank top I’d slept in. Conducting a brief search of the mess strewn about my bedroom floor, I discovered a decent pair of jeans that weren’t too dirty, slipping them on as well. After running a brush through my mess of blonde curls and swiping on mascara, I walked out to the kitchen, fully adamant on finding the box of Honey Nut Cheerios that had mysteriously disappeared a few days ago.
After conducting a thorough search of every damn cabinet in the kitchen, and coming out empty-handed, I settled on yogurt and a glass of milk, sitting in front of the TV, which had been left on the night before.
“Good Morning America” had just come on, and as Matt and Meredith made their introductions, I picked my cell phone up off the coffee table, flipping it open.
I had three unread text messages. Two of them were just Facebook notifications, while the remaining one was from Nia, my best friend.
“You’d better show up to class today girl, or your ass’ll be grass!”
I smiled, chuckling a bit. Oh, Nia.
My entire life, I’d had a little habit of skipping class, or school altogether, whenever I pleased. Now I was attending Eureka College, where I’d met Nia, and she had a zero-tolerance policy of my constant procrastination and ditching. Somehow, I managed to weave my way around her rules, and she was beginning to get, well, pissed.
Snapping my phone shut, I sighed. I might as well go to class; there was nothing better to do. Tossing my phone into the drawstring bag I used to carry my shit around and grabbing the few textbooks I had actually taken home, in a mock attempt to maybe possibly (totally not gonna happen) study, I stood to leave, but something stopped me.
“Coming up after the break, get the update of last weekend’s Peoria Massacre. Police are investigating and continually getting closer to nabbing the murderer. Stay tuned.”
A grin lit up my face. Liars. They weren’t getting any closer to finding the murderer, and they never would. Dad was a genius; he was probably across the country before people even realized the massacre occurred.
Making a mental note to call him later, I turned off the TV, grabbed my keys, and headed out the door.
* * * *
“Hey, skank!” Nia said affectionately, walking toward me as I got out of my car, her heels clicking against the parking lot pavement and her smile reflecting light like a mirror.
“Hey hoe!” I stepped out of my car, locking it with a click of the button on my keychain, and hugged Nia, stepping back to look over today’s outfit.
Nia and I were complete, polar opposites. She never wore the same outfit twice, and what she did wear was completely her own. Today, leopard-print heels held up her skinny legs, covered in skin-tight, navy skinny jeans, with a neon yellow belt. A black halter-top accentuated her small curved perfectly, and her yellow necklace matched her lightning-yellow fingernails. Her dark skin and caramel eyes complimented her jet-black hair beautifully, and I was truly stunned at how perfectly she’d flat-ironed all the kinks out of her hair.
She didn’t take a second glance at my getup, and I didn’t blame her. Who would? The only things with any personality on my lanky figure were that my nails were painted purple with sparkles, and that I wore a maroon-and-yellow hoodie that said “Eureka College” on it. Otherwise, my dirty blonde curls, fair skin, and gray eyes only added to the dullness that so infamously completed my look.
“I don’t know why I even choose to show up,” I said as Nia and I made our way up the sidewalk toward the old brick building that held us captive for nine grueling hours each day. “It’s not like I’ll ever get my degree now. I’ve skipped so much that I’ll have to come a whole extra year, and I can’t afford that. I’m fucked.”
Nia scowled good-naturedly. “And whose fault is that, Lydia? Can’t complain about something that you so willingly caused. Stop skipping class, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.”
I sighed. “Whatever. I gotta go, see you at lunch.”
And with that, we parted, Nia turning left and headed upstairs, while I went right and entered the first room on the right, taking my usual seat in the very back. Business was my least favorite course, but it was (for whatever reason) required in order to major in Biology. Whatever.
Sitting there, watching as a few other students slowly started to filter in, I sighed, spacing out as I always did in class.
Why was I even here? I wasn’t some girl who went to pretty colleges and gossiped at cafes with her friends, and then crashed random sorority parties.
I was Lydia Jane Mathison. Accomplished Procrastinator. James Patterson fanatic. Affectionate Daughter. And Mastermind Killer.
